Back to Basics

As the economy continues to slow down, we see a lot of slimming off of the excess. While this unfortunately comes in the form of cutting jobs, cutting pay, cutting hours, and cutting benefits for many people, we still must remain hopeful for the future. It is not the end of the world as we know it, which the news seems to be insinuating. Instead it is a time for us to re-evaluate our spending and habits to see what is really necessary. I find upon thinking in this frame of mind, this idea of going back to the basics applies to many areas of life, not just spending and fiscal responsibility.

Personally, I have been evaluating my life in several areas. First and foremost is the time I spend on certain activities such as facebook and other unproductive activities. This is not to say that I think facebook is evil, which it is entirely not. In fact, I feel it is a good way to stay in touch with a greater number of people than other wise possible. For me this semester I just don't have time to do anything much so I shouldn't be wasting it on facebook.

I just finished writing a paragraph about how much time I waste on facebook. Upon finishing it, I realized how much I dislike anti-facebook and anti-procrastination rants. In summation of that paragraph, what I meant to say is that I intend to be more responsible with my time.

The second area in which I am striving to go back to basics is my photography. If you've read any of my previous posts, you may have seen that I miss photography and am trying to get back into it. I have come to realize that the photos I take that I like the most tend to be those with the greatest simplicity. I'm not an art history person or much for art terminology but I really feel like I want my pictures to be minimalist in all ways. I am tired of the hassle of digital. I don't like using cameras with all of the bells and whistles. I miss film and the smell of darkroom chemicals lingering on my hands. Aside from boring photo tech stuff, I am going to continue to build towards my minimalist image in my work. If you zip over to my photo blog you can see some of my favs that I felt were worthy of the interweb. Also, if you ever want your picture taken, I'm always looking for a good muse.

The last area in which my new saying of "back to basics" applies, albeit this one is kinda a stretch is music. Last night I somewhat stumbled upon a new favorite band. I say somewhat because I had heard about them but forgotten. Last night upon leaving the business building after finance club (I know, I'm a dork, but I get extra credit), I heard a joyful noise upon the wind coming from the direction of Andolini's. That sweet melodious sound was the musical stylings of Bodies Full of Magic, a local band featuring mostly CofC students. While they were missing their drummer, I still thoroughly enjoyed listening to them. I love the mix of male and female vocals, especially when they are as soulful as those I heard last night. Another unexpected delight I found out of their sound is the trumpet. Their trumpet player had such amazing tone rarely heard in a band playing behind a pizza place. I immediately fell in love with their sound.

The moral of the story: go back to basics. It's refreshing. I recommend it.